CNG switch for all 210 standard city buses

Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s city transport committee, headed by Bunty Kukde, has decided to convert all 210 standard buses presently run on diesel into CNG.
The committee also passed a resolution to levy fine on agencies providing conductors and city bus service’s programme manager Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) for without-ticket travellers.
Kukde told TOI that NMC would incur no expenditure on conversion of diesel-run buses into CNG and also it’s operations and maintenance. “Earlier, we had planned to convert 50 diesel-run standard-sized buses into CNG. Rawmatt Industries Private Ltd has already converted one bus and it is running on trial basis for the last two months. The company has accepted our condition of converting the buses in city itself. Today, we took a decision to allot land to the agency at Khapri city bus depot,” he said.
Kukde added Rawmatt Industries will convert the buses into CNG and also develop CNG refilling station at Khapri depot. “Rawmatt Industries will recover the expenditure from a cess on the sale of CNG. City bus operators will pay for CNG to Rawmatt Industries. The operators are ready to run the buses on the existing rates. Thus, we will be able to have 210 CNG buses without any additional expenditure. 210 buses will be converted into CNG within one year and first 50 will be converted in two months,” he said.
Only 150 midi buses and 45 mini buses will run on diesel if the CNG project proves successful, he added.
City MP and Union minister Nitin Gadkari had time and again suggested the NMC to convert diesel-run buses into CNG-operated ones. He also suggested the NMC to produce CNG from methane, which is untapped at sewage treatment plants at present and use it in all city buses.
Kukde said the decision to impose fine on conductor agencies and DIMTS will curb revenue loss from ticket sales. “At present, we levy a fine of Rs1,000 only on conductors for one without-ticket passenger. It is also the responsibility of conductor agencies and DIMTS to ensure there’s no loss from tickets. Therefore, we have decided to levy a fine of Rs1,000 per without-ticket passenger on conductor agencies and DIMTS. Thus, Rs3,000 fine will be recovered in case one passenger is caught without-ticket,” he said.
The committee also took a decision to merge the NMC’s cash card into Smart Mobility Card launched by MahaMetro in association with the NMC. However, the NMC will continue concession and monthly pass system as agencies operating Smart Mobility Card have refused to incorporate these two in their system.
The committee took a decision to release 50% payment to private company from which the NMC purchased new ticket vending machines. The payment was withheld after Kukde had alleged irregularities.
“50% payment will be released as the company has refused to oversee maintenance of the machines,” Kukde said.
Other Decisions
* Appointment of a private agency for developing, operating and maintenance of ‘Chalo’ app without any expense to the NMC. The app will provide online ticketing system, real time data of buses and various other information related to city bus service
* Six members of City Transport Committee including vice-chairman Pravin Bhisikar replaced with new numbers following completion of two-year tenure
* Rs34.21 lakh will be recovered from city bus operator RK City Bus Operation Private Ltd. NMC had taken land on monthly rental basis at Wanjara to shift bus depot situated at Patwardhan ground. Though the NMC is paying a rent of Rs4.27 lakh, the operator has not shifted the depot despite repeated reminders
* Approval to expenditure of Rs4.98 lakh incurred on committee’s tour to New Delhi for studying city bus system there
* Installation of water ATMs at Mor Bhavan, Shanti Nagar ghat, Anant Nagar and Chhapru Nagar city bus stops